This Flame I Have
by chilledcreme
Summary: Leo is surprised to see Jason on his way to Bunker 9, and is even more surprised when Jason wants to tag along, given that they hardly have seen each other since the Argo II began it's process, as did Jason and Piper's relationship. It'll be long day, lots of time to goof around and grow closer. RATE & REVIEW PLEASE.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Author's note below... enjoy!**

* * *

Leo hadn't planned on this day being any different from any other. Well, he never does, but they usually are.

He rose from his bed early, and couldn't wait for breakfast to start to get working on the Argo II. He had so many ideas but not enough time in the day, and sleep couldn't end soon enough. It was just a useless break in his time to work. He would always run out of energy, though, and it had gotten to the point where Leo could be missing all day and no one got worried when he didn't return that night; they knew he'd fallen asleep working on the ship. _I should probably do something about that_, Leo thought as he tiptoed out of the Hephaestus cabin with his shirt on backwards, unbeknownst to him.

On normal days, he would just jog to Bunker 9 and get to work, but since today he'd gotten an early start (the sun was just rising, probably about 5 o'clock), he decided to take the long route along the canoe lake. Water wasn't really his element, but it was still calming to him. Since he found out about his fire abilities, he couldn't say he liked them all the time. Sure, they came in handy sometimes, but his beloved mother had died in a fire; how could he always like them?

Trying to shake these nasty thoughts from his head, Leo looked up and squinted at the rising sun and shimmering lake. It was really beautiful. Wow, was Leo surprised at how beautiful this was. He's been focusing so much on the Argo II for so long he'd almost forgotten about all that nature stuff. The orange sun made the sky turn blending hues of pink, orange, and yellow, turning the puffy clouds to purple and indigo. It glittered off the lake, which had a good foot's worth of a layer of fog hanging above it. The grass was moist with due, and some pieces stuck to Leo's feet, which only had sandals on them. That was a bit annoying. In the trees he could see nymphs peeking around the edges, and they'd giggle and disappear when he'd wave. Altogether, Leo got so caught up in the scenery he didn't even notice the figure ahead.

At first, he couldn't tell who, or what, it was. They were sitting with their knees to their chest, staring into the lake, tossing rocks. He then realized it was Jason, given the blonde hair and the storm forming above him. He had to be in a funk.

Jason must have been zoned out, because he didn't notice someone was next to him until Leo cleared his throat.

His head snapped up. "Hm? Oh, hey Leo."

"Hey man. I wasn't really, uh, expecting to see you out here this early." Leo scratched his head, still surprised to see Jason, who he had barely seen in months.

Jason sighed. "Me neither."

Leo furrowed his brows. Something was clearly wrong. "Mind if I -"

"Go ahead," Jason said, gesturing to the spot beside him.

Leo popped a squat on the gestured spot, his pants immediately wet from dew. _Great_, he thought, and then sighed, and for a minute Jason and Leo just watched the rising sun.

"So…" Leo began. He knew something was wrong but had no clue how to comfort Jason, so he just kept it simple: "What's up?"

Jason's face twisted, and Leo could tell he wasn't squinting from the sun. He had a pretty good idea of what the problem may be.

"It's me and Piper." Leo was right. He nodded. "Okay…" he said, implying Jason go on.

Jason sighed, again. "I dunno… she thinks we don't spend enough time together."

Leo did a double take. Wait, what? He's been the third wheel ever since Jason and Piper practically laid eyes on each other; all they ever did was hang out. Which Leo was fine with, of course. His father even once said he was better with machines than organic life forms. So was Leo. But that didn't shake the feeling in his chest when he found out his best friend was spending a day with Piper _again_. It eventually got to the point where he just assumed that's who Jason was with, like people assumed Leo was at Bunker 9.

"No…" Jason ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, that's not what she said."

Oh. Okay. "What did she say?"

"Gosh, I don't know how to put it…" Jason seemed timid. "It's like we aren't connected enough? Yeah, that's it. Like - like we're there and we do like each other, a lot. But it's almost like it doesn't mean anything, you know?"

Leo nodded. Truth is, he didn't really know, as he had zero dating experience, but he understood. He knew what it was like for a relationship to be there but not really mean anything. And he knew Jason was really upset because he kept talking with his hands, which he never does unless he's upset.

"Well, Doctor Leo can't pull any love-healing potions from his tool belt, but I can offer you some advice."

Jason breathed a laugh, as if he already knew it wasn't going to be great advice. "What's that?"

Leo paused. Jason knew he wasn't serious, but yet he still seemed hopeful - he really wanted to fix things between himself and Piper. Which made sense, of course; most people in a breaking relationship would try to fix things. Leo didn't really know what to say, he couldn't fix that. He could fix almost anything, but he couldn't fix that. But why did a part of him want things between them to end?

Leo shook his head and smirked his devilish smirk, brown curls bobbing on his head and into his eyes. "I really don't know, man. May the gods wish you luck?"

Jason laughed into the sun as he put his hand on Leo's shoulder and shook it briefly. But in that brief touch, electricity surged through him. He wasn't being electrocuted; it was more like a feeling than a physical surge. He pulled back slightly, thinking of course it was Jason; he was the son of the sky god, of course he was electric.

Leo decided to choose that moment to stand up and offer Jason a hand. As he pulled him up, electricity seemed to surge through him again, so that he almost dropped Jason. Leo wondered if he was doing that on purpose.

"You alright?" Jason wondered. His golden hair swept easily in many directions, resembling that of an unpredictable storm; his blue eyes reflected and glittered with the brilliant hues of the rising sun. His skin was perfectly tanned, like it was sun-kissed, and his muscles were perfectly toned. Basically, he was everything Leo was not. He was like the eye of a hurricane; gentile, calm, refreshing, yet with a hint of danger. Leo was… well, the repair boy.

Leo then realized he was spacing out on Jason (_what?_) and needed to answer a question. "Well, I'm off to do some handiwork. I'll see you later, maybe." As he began to turn away, waving his hand in a mini-wave, he knew he should said something else, like maybe… he didn't know, it just felt awkward leaving the conversation at that.

Jason half-reached toward Leo, catching his attention. "Wait, uh, do you want help with the, um, ship?"

Leo paused, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He was about to say he didn't need help; in fact he was already done. Today was just finishing touches. But then it dawned on him that Jason could go try to talk to Piper, which he probably should, but he wanted to hang with Leo instead. He wasn't offering help because it was polite, he was offering it because he wanted to. This felt strange to him, as happy as it made him. He realized he was so used to "Jason and Piper" and "then there's Leo," any idea of his friend not spending time with Piper or training, or both, was appalling.

But now, here was Jason, scratching his head and looking kind of like an idiot but also like a little kid, asking Leo if it was okay to spend time with his best friend. Not because he was bored or because he had nothing better to do (because he did), but because he could. And Leo was happy. He was elated.

Leo smiled his crooked smile. "Yeah," he breathed. "Sure, okay."

Jason nodded, smiling too. "Okay."

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**Okay, sooooo, that was chapter one! This is my first story and I'm really excited because I've read fan fiction before and kind of always wanted to write, but never did, until now! REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED please, I would love some constructive criticism! I'm hoping to do scheduled uploads, and I've already got a few more chapter on this written and am in the process of writing. If you like, please favorite. Got something to say? Review! THANKS SO MUCH for reading! 3**

**-chilledcreme**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note below. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Can't I just fly us there?"

Leo groaned. Jason had been asking to fly them to Bunker 9 for the past hour, since the bunker is really deep into the forest, and Leo kept telling him no. He stopped messing with the scraps of metal and realized he's built a mini-helicopter; he put it on his hand and spun the blades, Jason watching in amazement and Leo figuring out ways he could've made it better.

Leo turned his attention back to the conversation. "No; I already explained this to you. We're almost there, and there is no way I'm going up in the sky."

Jason looked at Leo, his blue eyes ablaze with curiosity. "Wait - are you afraid of heights?"

Leo looked offended. "No, of course not! I rode Festus without a problem, didn't I?"

Jason raised his eyebrows as though Leo had made a good point.

Leo looked back to the ground they were trailing, noticing one of his shoelaces were untied. "No, it's just the fact of going a mile in the sky being held by _you _that scares me."

Now it was Jason's turn to look offended. "What - are you serious? The sky is my turf; it's perfectly safe!"

Leo sighed, realizing they were bickering like an old married couple. The thought made his cheeks blush, and he soon became flustered. "It's just - I know, but - I don't know! Just quit asking. Sheesh, I thought _I_ was supposed to be the annoying one."

Jason fake-laughed and gave Leo a semi-punch to the arm.

"Ow!" Leo put his hand over his heart and mocked sadness. "Jason…" he said in a broken voice.

Jason laughed and looked ahead, just as they were approaching Bunker 9.

The Bunker looked the same as last time, and Leo put his hand on the cliff, which soon outlined the door. It opened, and they walked inside.

Inside, Jason was stopped in his tracks.

"Wait - I thought you needed help!"

Apparently, Leo (with the help of Cabin 9) had already finished the Argo II, and it was _huge._ It had bronze plating and ballistae, and a huge watchtower like old ships from the past. At the front was Festus's head, serving as the mast.

Leo headed forward, looking comfortable in his home turf. He turned toward Jason, walking backward, and spread his arms wide.

"I do; there are a lot of finishing touches. But, for the most part… how do you like it?"

Jason could hardly find the words to speak. "Leo, it's…" He couldn't think of a word. "It's _amazing_."

Leo turned back towards the ship, admiring his (mostly) work.

"Yeah… yeah, I know," he beamed.

Jason looked at Leo, who had his Camp Half Blood shirt on backwards under his suspenders, which he had strangely decided to keep after their little run-in with Aphrodite. He had his hands on his hips, which were cocked to the side. Jason couldn't see his face, but he knew Leo's eyes were sparkling with admiration. His entire body language said _sass _and he practically beamed proudness. He had never seen Leo so… _sure_ of himself.

Jason walked up next to him, and they stood their silently for a second. He was able to catch a glimpse of Leo's face, and he was right; his eyes glittered and he was beaming. Some of his brown curls dangled in front of his face, but he didn't seem to notice. He was happy.

Jason cleared his throat, and Leo came out of his trance. He smiled a wicked smile that could've scared Jason had it not been Leo who was the one smiling, clapped his hands together, and asked, "So, what should we do first - the plumbing or building a flying table?"

* * *

After assembling the flying table (which Leo had decided to name Buford), doing the plumbing, ordering some Wii remotes online for some unknown reason, and getting Leo to put his shirt back on right, it was already one in the afternoon. Leo was about to begin another task when Jason stopped him, and in that moment of silence Leo's stomach growled loud enough that both of them paused, then began laughing hysterically. Once the tears were wiped from their eyes, Jason suggested, "So that must mean lunch then?"

"Apparently," Leo breathed, grinning a devilish grin.

Jason began to walk toward the entrance of Bunker 9 with Leo. "So I'm gonna fly there, to save time… You want to come with?"

Leo stopped dead in his tracks and Jason could've sworn he got a bit paler. "Uh, actually, I'll just wait here, if that's okay."

Jason rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Valdez, it's perfectly safe - and it's fun. You've been on a flying _dragon, _for the love of gods -"

Then Jason stopped, because when he mentioned Festus, Leo's demeanor changed. He began to look a little… _guilty_. He thought: Leo had fallen out of the sky with Festus twice, and the second time he was lucky to make it out alive. Had that given him a fear of flying?

He decided not to press the subject further and smiled, relaxing when Leo smiled back. "I'll go get the stuff." And in a second, all that remained of Jason was a small cloud of dust formed where he was once standing.

Leo decided that while Jason was getting the food, he would be helpful and find a place to eat somewhere in the Bunker. But, it was still gorgeous outside, the sky a brilliant blue and the breeze a mild whisper, so he decided to find a place outdoors. Eating and sometimes just reading or lying outside always seems like a good idea at first, but finding a spot that isn't dry or slightly bumpy, because even the smallest bumps are uncomfortable, is really difficult. Luckily, Leo happened upon a rather large rock, bigger than Leo himself and plenty wide enough for Jason and Leo to sit on. It was only twenty yards away from Bunker 9, which was convenient. There were trees around it, but not too much that it felt secluded. Perfect.

When Jason got back with the food and some coffee (why not, they were just handing them out), Leo was standing with his hands on his hips again, in the same sassy position as earlier_._ He then pictured Leo doing a hand flip and saying _sassy_ and couldn't help but laugh.

Leo turned around, still pleased with finding the rock, which wasn't a huge achievement. "What?" he said, frowning, thinking something was wrong with his hair or something.

"Nothing," Jason smirked. He was holding Chinese takeout in the special takeout boxes with chopsticks sticking out, and he had changed his clothes into some faded jeans and a loose purple V-neck. This puzzled Leo until he realized Jason had probably been sitting at that pond for a while and might not have changed his clothes since yesterday. He couldn't confirm this, though, because he almost never saw Jason. This saddened him slightly when he realized this day would come to an end eventually, and he probably wouldn't see Jason for a while after then.

His mood quickly changed when he focused on the Chinese food again.

"Yes," Leo said, grabbing one. "They serve the best things here."

"Yeah, they both have noodles, but that one's sesame chicken, and this one's Mongolian pork."

Leo paused. "Switch me." Jason just huffed a laugh and did so.

Leo led him to the rock, and after much struggle (which Leo insisted he didn't need an extra boost from Jason and his "air powers"), Leo finally got up. He found that by then, his food was cold, but this wasn't a problem. He just heated it up slowly with his hands.

At first, they ate in silence. Jason was gracefully grabbing his chicken and noodles with the chopsticks and eating them. He didn't get a thing on his face. Leo, on the other hand…

Jason looked over and could've fallen over laughing. Leo's face was one of intense concentration and he was gripping the chopsticks in a very awkward manner. Looking down, he could see the pieces of pork Leo had managed to drop.

"Need some help there, butterfingers?"

Leo gave him a sly grin. "No thanks, Mr. Perfect," he joked. Then he averted his attention back to the box, his eyebrows furrowing. "I got this."

Jason watched, a grin on his face, while Leo unsuccessfully "got this", eventually just stabbing one of the chopsticks through one of the last pieces of pork left like a skewer and eating it happily.

Jason laughed and scooted over. "Here, let me help you." He grabbed Leo's hand, which was very warm, although this didn't surprise him. He awkwardly tried to place the chopsticks in the right position, "Like a pencil," Jason said. Then he showed Leo with his hand, moving in fluid movements. Leo, though, was moving in quick, choppy movements and couldn't seem to get it. It ended up that one of the sticks fell from his hand and to the ground.

Leo cursed. "Oh well, I don't like pork anyways." Jason laughed, and then a bell went off in his head.

"Oh, the coffee!"

He twisted around and grabbed the two cardboard cups and handed one to Leo. He took a sip.

"Damn, it's cold," he said disappointedly, wiping some from his lip.

Leo just smiled knowingly. "Here, let me see it," he said, taking it from Jason's hand. And within minutes, Leo had the coffee warmed up perfectly.

Jason took a nice sip, staring into the forest. "That's amazing."

Leo followed where Jason's eyes were looking, expecting he was talking about something in the distance. "What?"

Jason nudged Leo's arm with his elbow. "Not that, _that._" He said, nodding his head towards Leo's coffee cup. "What you can do." He looked Leo in the eyes, and Leo looked back with a look of confusion and thanks.

"Yeah, well…" he trailed off, looking down as a ball of fire came to life in the hand not holding the coffee cup. It changed colors from yellow to reddish and even to blue, then extinguished.

Jason shook his head in approval. "Amazing."

As they sat in silence for a couple minutes, drinking their perfectly warm coffee, Jason began to think. He was really enjoying today, so much so, he'd forgotten his talk with Piper. She'd basically said they were going to take a break for a while, and honestly, he was okay with that, and that fact bothered him. Did he and Piper's relationship really mean so little that he was okay with a break? Most people would be upset, but he wasn't really. He wanted to be, but he just… _couldn't._ His thoughts were then cut short when he heard Leo smirk at something.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Leo guessed. His voice seemed… _different_. Not so much of a question as it was a statement.

Jason sighed. "Yeah, you caught me."

Leo turned completely sideways to look at Jason, crossing his legs on the rock. "Are you guys gonna be… okay?" He whispered. For some reason this made Jason's stomach churn again; Leo sounded like a little child, it was so cute… wait, _what?_

Jason thought. He really wasn't sure if they were going to be okay. They weren't in a disagreement; it was just as if… nothing was left for them. It makes him sad to say it, but it's true, and him and Piper both knew it. They just weren't the same as they used to be.

Leo sat back to his normal state, facing into the forest. "I know it sucks," he said. Then he paused. "Well, I don't really have any dating expertise or anything, but I do know what it's like for a relationship to actually be there but not really _mean _anything." Jason wondered who he was talking about, and Leo's eyes looked a little forlorn. He continued.

"It's even worse when there's really nothing you can do about it, and when there's no clear reason. Everyone seems to need something to blame, but sometimes you've just got to accept there's just nothing you can do about it."

Jason looked back at Leo, and then realized another situation that applied. He and Piper had been so obsessed with each other recently that he forgot to even take time out of the day to see his best friend. Leo had spent the whole summer working on the Argo II with his cabin mates, probably wondering why the heck his best friend had abandoned him, like he'd done something wrong. Jason knew how personally Leo took things and how he blamed himself for a lot of stuff whether it was his fault or not, like his mom's death. Now he realized why Leo had been so surprised to see him and even more so when Jason asked to help him. The ship was almost done, and Jason hadn't even been there for it, or him.

Now Jason felt like crap. First his relationship with his girlfriend falls apart, now his best friend's is beginning to. Or maybe it didn't have to.

Jason sighed. "Leo, I'm sorry I've… abandoned you, for the past few months. That was rude to just leave you and hang around Piper like it was our last day alive, or whatever."

He looked at Leo, who looked more confused than earlier. Then he smiled. "Jason, what are you talking about? She's your girlfriend, your GF, there's no reason for you to apologize."

Jason sighed again. Leo seemed to not get the point. "What I _mean_ is, that, well, you can only hang around one person for so long before it gets obsessive. Piper and I, we had some good times, but maybe our relationship just wore out because we hung out so often. And then I - and I am sorry, but, I practically forgot about you."

Leo's smile faltered, and he nodded, turning back forward. Then he laughed. "C'mon, bro, are you really having a heart-to-heart with me? Let's talk about something manly, like machines or something."

* * *

Later that day around sunset, after a lot more finishing details, they decided to take another break, and found the same rock from earlier. They could see the sky above them, right in the spot where it fades from pale yellow to a darker blue, indicating night was on its way.

"What's the coolest thing you can do?" Jason asked, looking at Leo. His brown, messy curls caressed over his tanned face, his suspenders loosened from his slouch. He seemed to be thinking, and then hopped down, while Jason stayed perched on the rock.

He walked back a safe distance, then grinned a devilish grin at Jason, which made his stomach churn in a strange way.

"Now, I've never done this before, but I thought about it last night, so I'm just wingin' it." Then he raised a hand to the sky, and all hell broke loose.

Jason watched as a pillar of fire soared wildly and widened from just the palm of Leo's hand and illuminated the entire area with new light. It began to climb, forty feet, fifty feet; _one hundred feet!_ The fire churns and spirals outward at the top, roaring, changing colors; this goes on for what seems like minutes. Leo lets out a loud, devilishly happy yet crazy laugh, and Jason's attention is drawn back to him. His eyes sparkle in the fire and a grin plasters his face, his curly hair bouncing with his laugh. Jason could feel the intense heat coming from it. For some reason, watching Leo seemed to be the most fascinating part of the ordeal. Then he's broken from his trance (was he really in a trance..?) as Leo's eyebrows falter, and his smile goes slack. Too late, it begins to dawn on Jason what's happening as the pillar of fire begins to loose energy and disperse into the air, and Leo's entire body seemed to go slack. He then falls to his knees, and his figure drops to the ground like a doll.

* * *

**Hahaha yes. I'm going to leave it there for a few days, maybe. I'm thinking for this story (which doesn't look like it's going to have very many chapters at this point, but who knows, I might add more later), I'm going to do a Sunday-Wednesday updating schedule. Just so y'all know when ones coming. But I can't guarantee the schedule, never know if I'll get writers block or something, I don't know..**

**_Anyways, _PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE favorite if you liked it, review if you have something to say, and again, thanks SO MUCH for reading!  
**

**-chilledcreme**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note below... enjoy!**

* * *

"Leo!"

Jason doesn't have time to hop down and run, so he just uses the wind to quickly carry him over to Leo. He's still lying limp as if he fell asleep, face completely calm, and Jason panicked. Gods, how could Jason have been so stupid? That had to have taken a lot of energy. Yet he just sat and watched Leo create this incredible pillar of fire, and didn't even think of how it would affect him. But Leo looked so – what's the word - _alluring_, so stunning… no, what?! He abandoned his thoughts and let the panic set back in, picking up Leo's torso, heart skipping a beat when his friend's head and arms just lolled backward lifelessly, and set him on his lap. Unsure of what to do, Jason slapped him.

At first there was nothing. So, Jason shook him a little and said his name desperately.

"Leo? Leo, oh gods… wake up."

After a bit more shaking and another slap, Leo's eyes peeled open, one after the other. At first he was incoherent, then -

"Ow!" Leo cursed, sitting up and holding his cheek. "What the hell, man?!"

Jason sighed, then just chuckled nervously, relieved to get past the horrifying feeling he had a moment before.

"Well, that was cool, but you probably shouldn't do that again."

This dawned on Leo like he'd just realized how tired he was. His shoulders sagged and he just nodded.

"Yeah, that kind of took out my energy for the day."

"Well, that's good," Jason said. "It's almost dark out." And it was; the sun was beginning to set, and the light was going with it.

Leo began to fall back to the ground, but Jason caught him and held him in his lap, legs crossed. Either Leo didn't care or he was too tired to, and Jason found the position in his favor.

"Hey, Leo." He only grunted a "hmm" in response.

Jason smiled. "Wanna see what I can do?"

Leo peered up at his curiously. "What's that?" he asked, half-hesitantly.

Then, before Leo could react, Jason grabbed a hold of him like his life depended on it (which it sort of did), then started up into the sky.

"Wha-whoooooaaa! No! No, no, no, no, no!" Leo shrieked. "Jason, put me down!"

Jason was already a hundred feet, if not more, into the air, which Leo apparently did not realize. In a desperately stupid move, Leo shoved away from him, and then began to tumble into the forest. Jason swiftly flew down and grabbed him.

They began rising again. "If we're in the air," Jason explained, "it's probably a smart thing _not _to jump away from the only thing keeping you there."

Leo looked up at Jason with a mix of fear and 'I'll get you for this'. Their position was awkwardly intimate; Leo was clinging on to Jason's bicep with both arms and Jason was holding Leo like a princess, one arm under the knees and the other supporting the back. They kept rising, higher, higher, and Leo looked down.

He made some kind of pre-pubescent yelp and buried his face into Jason's chest.

"Jason, can you bring us back down please?" Leo mumbled into Jason's chest, muffling what he said.

Jason sighed, holding Leo tighter. "You can look around; you are _not_ going to fall. I won't allow it."

Jason could feel Leo consider this, and then he raised his head up and glanced up at Jason, almost as if testing the waters, then timidly looked around. Apparently, what he saw made him forget about being afraid.

The sun was already set, the horizon of the large forest barely hinting at its passing, the sky over there a lighter shade of indigo. Other than that, it was completely night time, which meant the stars were out. And gods were they _brilliant._ It seemed there were more stars that there was sky; probably a trillion. Leo just gazed at them like a little kid in Toys R Us for the first time. Jason kept slowly flying in no general direction.

Eventually, he talked. "It's pretty awesome, eh?"

"That's an understatement," Leo mumbled, his breath visible

"I'm gonna change our position, okay?" Jason warned Leo.

"Okay," Leo replied, again like he was in a trance. He hadn't taken his eyes off the sky since they got up there.

Jason let go of Leo's legs and quickly moved his hand to grab his other arm, his feet lowering to rest on Jason's. They were in yet again an oddly intimate position, facing each other so closely, but that seemed okay with Leo, given that they were hundreds of feet in the air and that falling meant either Jason would catch him or immediate death. This made Leo grip Jason tighter.

He noticed this, and looked back down at Leo, who looked at him in turn.

He chuckled. "I am _not _going to drop you, 'kay?"

Leo still looked hesitant. "I, uh… yeah. I know, it's just…"

"Is it because of Festus?" Jason guessed. Apparently he guessed right because Leo looked at him sadly, and then looked back up, his breath visible as he exhaled.

Jason took another guess. "And you thought he couldn't drop you, even that second time, but…" Jason trailed off, but decided to leave it there. Again, he seemed right, because Leo just looked sadder.

All these things were going on with his best friend and Jason didn't even know about it. Their friendship timeline has had a huge gap in it for the past three months. Jason was out spending obsessive amounts of time with Piper while Leo was abandoned, and Jason realized he didn't really know a lot about how these past few months have been for Leo. Heck, he didn't know _anything _about how these past few months were. What if Leo had a girlfriend for a bit? Jason doubted it, as someone probably would have told him, but you never know. What if, during the Argo II's building, Leo had gotten hurt by something? What if he got knocked out and had a concussion? What feelings has he been feeling recently? Has he been feeling confident and good, or has he just been putting on an act while people were around? How did he feel every day when he knew that as well as his cabin mates not being around, neither was Jason? What did he do? Did he just build something to keep the thoughts away or did he sit and consume himself with horrifying and completely wrong thoughts about his own self? He knew how Leo was, even though he played dumb most of the time. He knew how much he blamed himself.

The more Jason thought, the angrier he got. Angry at himself, angry at Piper, and angry at Leo that he just couldn't seem to understand how amazingly talented and wonderful he was.

Apparently while Jason was thinking, he'd pulled Leo into a protectively tight hug. He didn't realize this until Leo squeaked something.

"Jason, you okay? You're kinda squeezing me here."

Jason broke from his trance and loosened his grip. "Sorry, I'm sorry." He mumbled. He looked his friend in the eye, who looked back with a mixture of curiosity and 'what's up with you, man'.

Jason just laughed, and Leo began to laugh to. Soon, they were both laughing hysterically.

Leo trusted him enough to take one arm off Jason's and wipe a tear from his eye. "Why are we laughing?"

Jason laughed. "Why not?" They both laughed again.

Jason sighed. "Ready to see what I can do?"

Leo stopped and looked up, all serious. "Wait, there's more?"

As a response, Jason decided to sport a devilish grin of his own, loop one arm around the middle of his torso, and shot into the sky.

Leo was sure they were going at least a hundred miles per hour. Well, maybe not, but it was _fast. _It was exhilarating. He wondered how long it would take before they wouldn't be able to breathe, but he didn't really care. He knew Jason was in control.

"Yeah!" Leo laughed. The wind was piercing his face and making his eyes water and their hair was blowing wildly. "Woooo-hooooo!" He pumped a fist in the air, which made Jason laugh too.

After a while of looping and general flying, they were hovering over the entire forest, which stretched out for miles. The moon glittered off the lake in the distance, and even more stars filled the sky, which didn't seem possible. They eventually just came to a stop to float there, allowing Jason to conserve some energy.

Leo huffed. "That was cool."

Jason nodded. They remained there for a bit, and then Leo yawned. Jason remembered he did just pass out from exhaustion only an hour ago.

"Ready to go down?"

He nodded drowsily. "Yeah."

Jason maneuvered them back above Bunker 9 and lowered them down and they walked in, side by side. Although the plan was to venture into the bunker to "close up" and leave for the night, Leo immediately laid down and passed out on a workbench. Jason, knowing he was exhausted too, found a chair not far away, and soon they were both snoring.

* * *

**Yeah, soooo...**

**I know I said I was going to try a Sunday/Wednesday updating schedule, but I'm definitely not going to be able to do that. I've been really busy recently, so, you know. I hope y'all understand, lolol.**

**And I'm also not sure whether I'm going to make this a slash... I know I've hinted at it, but maybe I should do two more chapters, with alternate endings, one being slash and one not? I don't know, tell me what you guys think in the reviews! And if you don't really care, that's okay, just review and tell me if you loved it or hate it! You guys don't know how much it means to me, especially since this is my first story!**

**Thank you so much!**

**-chilledcreme**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note below... enjoy the last chapter!**

* * *

When Jason woke up the next morning, he was in a blissful state. Just sleepy, and had gotten a good night's rest.

Then he had that moment when you realize you have places to be, and someone recently left you. His happy mood quickly dipped into a frantic, upset mode as the realization set in.

He jumped up from the chair, faster than he should have, because he slept in a chair for crying out loud, and he almost knocked over a desk with important looking papers and blueprints on it. He looked across the room, and to his horror, they had slept in. In fact, it was already 10:30. He went over to where Leo was snoring, now on the ground, as he must have fallen off the workbench sometime that night. He shook his shoulders, already fearing what rumors were going around the camp by now.

"Leo? Leo! Wake up, we slept in!"

At first, Leo was incoherent too, and then it seemed to dawn on him as well that they were going to have some explaining to do. He sprang onto his feet, pausing to look at Jason wildly, and raced to a nearby table, tossing stuff about, obviously looking for something. Then he pulled a white button up shirt off it, put it on over his Camp Half-Blood one, and pulled up his suspenders.

He looked to Jason, frantically buttoning his shirt. "You think you can fly us there?"

Jason nodded, and the second they were out the bunker and the door was sealed, he wrapped an arm around Leo's waist and shot off.

* * *

They landed a little away from camp, as not to attract anyone's attention. They strolled in, trying to look casual, but of course it didn't work. Everyone gave them strange looks, some people giggling and whispering. Jason just rolled his eyes.

Leo looked at him ruefully. "Do you know what they're saying?"

Jason nodded, grim. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

They kept walking, gods know where, until a certain Centaur walked up to them. Leo and Jason immediately paled, and Leo audibly gulped.

Chiron looked at them, but not accusingly. "Did you boys spend the night at Bunker 9?" He didn't guess.

Leo quickly nodded. "Yeah, we worked on the ship some, and then we got really tired and just fell asleep in the bunker on accident although we honestly meant to come back, we swear." Jason just nodded a little.

Chiron seemed to accept this. "I wish you two the best of luck, considering what people are already saying." Jason just sighed and Leo let out an "Aww, man," and cringed.

Chiron walked away, and they looked at each other. Then Jason realized it really doesn't matter what people think. He and Leo are best friends, and considering everything he'd just found out about him, he was not going to avoid his best friend just because some people think some things, although it honestly was just an innocent case of crashing there for the night.

Leo and Jason kept walking, looking for something to do with someone as not to look so suspicious, when Piper walked up.

Jason was just silent, looking for the words to say. His mouth just hung slightly open stupidly.

"Hey, Pipes," Leo chirped, holding his fist out.

"Hey, Leo," she replied, giving it a bump. "Haven't seen you much lately."

He shrugged. "Hard at work with the _Argo II_. Oh! That reminds me! " Then Leo took off, running back in the direction Chiron had gone, leaving Piper and Jason alone.

They watched him sprint like an excited child until he turned the corner, and then had to face each other. Jason kind of grimaced, while Piper looked a little forlorn, yet somehow happy.

"How's the _Argo II_?" she asked.

Jason nodded, looking at the people canoeing in the lake. They were having tons of fun.

"It's great. The Hephaestus cabin really did something amazing with that. It'll be perfect for the quest."

Piper nodded. "When do you think we'll leave?"

"I don't know; sometime very soon, though," he responded.

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "Wait, is it done?"

Jason nodded. "Completely. We were just doing some finishing touches."

Piper nodded, and they both watched the people canoe for a good minute. Then Jason sighed.

"Listen… I don't want this to end." He knew that was right; he didn't. Not anymore, not after yesterday. "But I think we should balance how much we hang out; you know, save time for other people. That way, we won't wear out our… relationship."

Piper nodded. "Actually, that's what I was going to say. With you gone yesterday, I was able to hang out with some of the other people in my cabin, and it was… nice."

Jason nodded again. "I guess great minds think alike." Piper smiled her smile at him, beautiful as always, and pulled her into a half-hug around the waist. She leaned in to him for a second before pulling away.

She looked up at him. "In that case, I'm going to go tell Annabeth we'll be leaving to get Percy sometime soon," she said, beginning to back away before sprinting toward the Athena cabin. Jason was glad they got off the edge of the cliff; he really loved her. Although things with them seemed bleak right now, they were going to fix it.

Then he sighed, beginning to head to where Leo took off to, when he saw him sprint out the front door of the Big House.

"Jason!" he called, running and holding something shiny in his hands. As he got closer, Jason soon identified it as… an iPod?

Leo slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. "Do you think," he said, folding his hands in a steeple under his chin and giving Jason puppy eyes, "that you could fly us to Bunker 9?"

It took Jason a second to register this, and then he smiled, putting an arm around Leo's waist. Leo sighed in relief, grinning.

They took off.

* * *

Hours later, Annabeth, Piper, Chiron, the entire of the Hephaestus cabin, and some various curious campers were all gathered in Bunker 9, chatting. A giant figure in front of them, which could only be the _Argo II_, was completely draped in what looked like blankets and sheets sewn together. _Is that my blanket? _Piper thought when she spotted the red and tan fabric that looked too much like the Cherokee blanket her father had given her. She was going to have a word with Jason and Leo after this.

The conversing was stopped as the lights dimmed, and Leo's voice came over a speaker somewhere in the room.

"Are you guys ready to see… the _Argo II?!_" his voice boomed. Everyone in the room cheered.

Then, lights of all various colors began moving all over the room, from spotlights hanging above the catwalks. Piper was sure those hadn't been there last time she was here, but she didn't care; it was still cool. The room lit up in beautiful shades of blue, purple, yellow, red, and green. "Back in Black" by AC-DC began to play, and the sheet of stolen blankets were lifted by wires.

Everyone in the room's reaction was the same: first their eyebrows raised and their mouths formed an O, then they smiled. Some campers cheered. The Stoll brothers let out a series of "whoop's". Leo and Jason appeared on the catwalk above the ship, and invited the Hephaestus cabin up to admire their work.

Once they were up there, Leo gestured to the ship, and everyone cheered again. Chiron smiled and nodded. The song eventually faded out, and they made their way down to greet everyone. Annabeth hugged almost everyone from the Hephaestus cabin, Leo the hardest, and her face began to look happier and more hopeful than it had in a long time.

Once everyone shared comments, Chiron cleared his throat, and everyone silenced. He regarded everyone in the Hephaestus cabin for a moment.

"You all did well." More smiles and high-fives from the group.

Then Chiron got serious. "This also means that you shall be leaving very soon for your quest, no later than the day after next." Everyone got more serious, although Annabeth looked even more hopeful. Leo couldn't blame her, though. She was going to be reunited with her missing boyfriend in only forty-eight hours.

Chiron patted Leo on the back as the group began to leave the room, with the exception of the Hephaestus cabin, who wanted to stay and admire the ship before it left in a day or so.

"You guys did a great thing, but you may want to start packing. A long journey awaits you," he said, talking to Jason, Piper, and Annabeth as well.

They made it back to the camp while later, then all dispersed to their own cabins to get some sleep. The next day around noon, Leo got his sack out and got a couple pairs of jeans and some t-shirts, then had to take a break courtesy of his ADHD to mess with some gears or something.

As he lay on the floor, fiddling with a wire and some other various things, he began to think about the upcoming quest. He was kind of excited but a little apprehensive about meeting the great Percy Jackson he'd heard so much about. And who were the two other people of the seven chosen for this quest? Where would they even begin with all of this? How are they supposed to even find the Doors of Death? The more questions he asked the more scared and nervous Leo got. He didn't even realize how panicked his breathing had gotten, so he closed his eyes to calm himself. He also didn't realize when Jason entered the room until he heard his bed squeak.

Leo jolted up, gasping, then sighed in relief. "You scared the shit out of me."

Jason laughed. "I come and go like the wind."

Leo laughed ironically at his attempt at a joke and sat cross-legged. His face went serious, and Jason noticed this, soon following. He shifted down to the floor across from Leo, also cross-legged.

Leo turned the contraption he was making around in his hands. "I was just thinking about the quest…"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, we all are."

He looked at Jason, scared. "What if… what if we don't know where to start? What if we don't finish in time… what if one of us _dies,_ Jason? What if -"

Leo was interrupted by Jason putting his hand in the air. He then shifted to lean on Leo's bed, gesturing Leo do the same, so he did. They sat shoulder to shoulder.

"You can't think like that," Jason began. "I know it's hard not to, trust me, I feel the same. But a million things could go wrong on a quest, and thinking like that will only drive you insane. Remember the quest we did to save Hera?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, we kicked some giant ass."

Jason laughed. "And now it's time we kick Gaea's ass, yeah?"

Leo laughed and nodded. Gaea had taken his mother from him, basically destroying his life, and because of her "plan", Jason's life was completely changed and he'd lost his memory, and Leo and Piper's had been faked. Now Percy Jackson was missing, and it all centered down to Gaea.

Leo thought of his mother's sweet face, and a lump began to form in his throat. Gaea had ruined their lives. Now she was going to pay.

He got up, zipping his bag and hauling it over his shoulder. Then he looked at Jason, sporting that devilish grin that basically said "danger."

"Let's make dirt-face wish she'd never messed with this group of half-bloods."

Jason nodded, grinning back. "Now that's more like it."

* * *

**And that's the end! I decided not to make it slash, although that was what I'd initially planned, so I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone. But do not fret, for I will be writing other stories, including actual Leason, in the future.**

**Anywho, I had _a lot _of fun writing this, and thank you to everyone who read, favorited, followed, and reviewed! It really means to world to a writer when people do that, especially reviews. Now I guess it's time to begin something else, maybe some one-shots that I've thought of but not began during this story.**

**Also, if anyone has a request for a pairing they would like me to write, maybe like a prompt that no one seems to have written yet, I would be happy to do it! I'm having a lot of fun with this, so if anyone has a prompt or ship, PM me or leave it in a review!**

**Like always, favorite if it's a favorite and review if you have something to say! Please, it really does mean the world. :D**

**Thank you guys so much!**

**-chilledcreme **


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